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Magnetic instability of giant magnetoresistance spin-valves due to electromigration-induced inter-diffusion |
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| Authors: | Jing Jiang Seongtae Bae Hojun Ryu |
| Affiliation: | a Biomagnetics Laboratory (BML), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117576, Singapore b Information Storage Materials Laboratory (ISML), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117576, Singapore c IT Convergence & Components Laboratory, ETRI, Yuseong-Gu, Daejon 305-700, Republic of Korea |
| Abstract: | Electromigration-induced magnetic failures in NiFe/(Co)/Cu/(Co)/NiFe spin-valve (SV) multilayers have been investigated. Electrically stressed NiFe/Cu/NiFe SV multilayers showed a dramatic reduction of magnetic moment up to 41%, and a shift of interlayer coupling characteristics, while no obvious magnetic degradation was observed in the NiFe/Co/Cu/Co/NiFe SV multilayers. It was experimentally confirmed that the magnetic degradation of the NiFe/Cu/NiFe SV multilayers is primarily due to the formation of Ni-Cu intermixing caused by the electromigration-induced Cu spacer inter-diffusion. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that an ultra thin Co diffusion barrier at the NiFe/Cu interface is promisingly effective to improve the magnetic stability of NiFe/(Co)/Cu/(Co)/NiFe SV multilayers against electromigration. |
| Keywords: | Magnetic instability GMR spin-valve multi-layers Electromigration-induced failures Cu spacer inter-diffusion |
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